Pharmaceutical companies have increasingly sought to license existing drug candidates from biotechnology firms in China over the past few years.

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The U.S. Treasury Department proposed adding biotechnology to the COINS Act list of sensitive restricted industries, alongside semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing

Western pharmaceutical companies have invested tens of billions of dollars in Chinese biotechnology companies and licensing agreements to bolster their drug development pipelines

The U.S. Treasury Department cited national security concerns that American investments in Chinese biotech could be used to create biological weapons, develop brain-computer interfaces for surveillance, or cause U.S. supply chain overdependence

On October 22, 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department proposed updated rules for implementing the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security (COINS) Act of 2025 to restrict U.S. investment in the Chinese biotechnology sector

The U.S. Treasury Department's proposed COINS Act regulations would require U.S. investors to notify the government regarding certain biotech transactions in China and prohibit others entirely, subjecting violators to civil penalties and divestment

The U.S. Treasury Department's proposed restrictions cover equity interest acquisitions, debt financing, joint ventures, brain-computer interfaces, biomanufacturing equipment, and life sciences tools involving Chinese entities

The U.S. Treasury Department proposal defines prohibited biotech technologies to include small molecules, polymers, vaccines, blood components, allergenics, cell and gene therapies, and monoclonal antibodies or other recombinant therapeutic proteins

China halted poultry imports from Rio Grande do Sul following a 2024 Newcastle disease detection before lifting the restriction earlier in 2026

Meat industry group ABPA stated that the Brazil-China trade protocol triggers an auto-embargo on poultry shipments following a Newcastle disease outbreak before Chinese authorities decide whether restrictions apply to an entire state or limited farm area

In June 2026, Sciwind Biosciences reported Phase 2 SLIMMER-UP-SWITCH trial data from China showing subcutaneous ecnoglutide achieved 12.8% weight loss versus 9.5% for semaglutide at 20 weeks, 35% greater (163 patients).

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that US compounding pharmacies should be permitted to make peptides to prevent consumers from purchasing gray-market products manufactured in China

Roche partnered with Chinese startup Defand Therapeutics to discover new medicines in a deal valued at just under $1 billion if all milestones are achieved.

The partnership between Roche and Defand Therapeutics, announced on October 8, 2026, focuses on collaborative discovery of new medicines, representing a shift from traditional licensing of existing Chinese drug candidates.

If elected, Song Li would succeed the incumbent World Health Organization Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on October 8, 2026, that Beijing has nominated health official Song Li as a candidate to lead the World Health Organization

The administration of United States President Donald Trump criticized the World Health Organization's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing the agency of bias toward China

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on October 8, 2026, that China believes Song Li, if elected director-general of the World Health Organization, will help play a more active role in improving global health

Beijing has sought to take on more responsibility within United Nations agencies as the United States under President Donald Trump winds down its engagement

The World Health Organization has rejected accusations from the administration of United States President Donald Trump that the agency was biased toward China

China has announced additional funding for the World Health Organization but remains far from filling the financial gap in WHO funding left by the United States